That Good
by Amiable Loner
Summary: Post Winter Soldier. A visit to Tony Stark results in more excitement than Steve and Bucky expected.


Hi y'all! It's been a long time since I've posted anything on this site but here I am trying out something new. On a side note, I will be combining elements from the movies and the comics by Ed Brubaker but that should not be a problem.

I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: No one's told me I'm the long-lost heir to the Marvel universe so none of these characters belong to me.

"Why are we here again?" Bucky Barnes grumbled as the swift-moving elevator carried him and Steve Rogers to Tony Stark's laboratory.

"Because you nearly had your arm blown off on that last Hydra base we destoryed," Steve answered with a casual shrug.

"I did not 'nearly blow my arm off'!" Bucky snapped.

"You swatted a grenade in mid-air right before it detonated," Steve leveled back, blue eyes steely as they locked onto Bucky's. "You were lucky it went far enough to only mess up your arm instead of your face." The other man shifted uncomfortably under Steve's cool stare.

"I've done it before and never had a problem," he muttered as he directed a glare at the elevator's buttons.

"You nearly gave me and Sam a heart attack," the blond shot back. His voice was stern but a glint appeared in his eyes. "Maybe I should have let Sam – how did he put it? – 'tan your ass' for that little stunt." Bucky crossed his arms with a huff then glared at his left as it didn't quite work the way he wanted it to. _Traitor_, he thought as he ignored the snickers coming from his right.

"I am a grown man Steve!" he growled though it sounded more like a whine which only made him scowl harder.

"Am I interrupting a lover's spat?" a new voice asked. Bucky whipped his head around to see Tony Stark's smug grin outside the elevator's open doors. Steve let out a long-suffering sigh as he exited the elevator.

"Thanks for seeing us on such short notice," Steve greeted as he shook hands with Tony.

"You're always welcome here Cap," Tony said as he returned the handshake. "Besides, I've been dying to get a good look at that thing." Bucky gave Tony his most lethal I-am-the-Winter-Soldier-the-most-deadly-assassin-in-the-world-so-fear-me-look he could muster but the effort was wasted on the other man. "Come on in, I want to run a few tests and then see if I can upgrade that outdated piece of hardware."

"Your empathy and tact are astounding, Stark," Bucky deadpanned as he and Steve followed Tony into the lab.

"I hear about my lack of social skills from Pepper, I don't need it from you Tinman," Tony replied airily as he settled behind a desk. "Now, I've heard a lot about you Barnes," he continued as he pushed a few buttons on the desk. "I heard that were highly trained, I mean, ridiculously trained, while in the army. I guess you'd have to be to keep up with the super soldier over there," Tony inclined his head at Steve who was giving him a look that would have sent lesser men running to their mothers. "So, Olympics-level athlete, highly adept with all manner of weapons and martial arts. What I want to know is-are you really that good?"

With that several lasers began shooting at Bucky who deftly began evading the attack.

"Stark!" Steve bellowed as he lunged forward.

"Steve, it's fine!" Bucky called as he casually flipped onto one of the blasters.

"See, he's fine," Tony shrugged as he observed Bucky's movement. "Besides, they're all set to stun, they won't hurt him."

Bucky rolled his eyes at Tony's response as he punched a hole in the blaster and pulled out several wires. The blaster immediately shut down and he jumped clear. For the next minute or two Bucky leapt between blasts and deactivated each one. Tony's cool observation was getting under his skin so after the last blaster was rendered useless he jumped high into the air, executed a flawless flip and landed on Tony, pinning him to the floor effortlessly. Tony gasped for the air that was knocked out of him then began struggling to free himself. Bucky calmly grabbed a knife from a hidden sheath on his person and placed it at Tony's throat.

"Next time you want a demonstration, just ask," he stated. "I don't like being reminded of my previous…"training" sessions under the likes of Pierce and Zola."

"Ok, ouch," Tony protested the not so veiled insult. Bucky replied by calmly flipping the knife and slamming it into the floor next to Tony's throat.

"And yeah, Stark, I am that good."

Bucky stood and reached down his right hand to pull Tony back up. Steve appeared at his side and gave him a once over before sending Tony a withering glare. Tony had the grace to look sheepish. "Now," Bucky drawled as a mischevious smirk crossed his countenance. "The question is: are _YOU _as good as I've heard?"

"Do I hear a challenge Barnes?" Tony replied as he reached for some tools. "Park yourself in that chair and I'll work a _miracle_."


End file.
